December 19, 1903.]
30 feet in height, no room can be maintained if the open space is only ten feet? If so, and this is exactly what the new.definition seeks to legislate, I venture to refer them to Part V. of the London Building Acts, 1894-98, wherein the open spaces about buildings are not so inconsistently regulated. To comply with the provisions of the proposed definition of external air it would be necessary in the case of refusal of modification by the Governor in Council to take down and set bact the front wall of hundreds of existing buildings, and to re-construct a great many of them. The in- sanitary defects in the designs of these buildings and laying out of streets and lanes are un. doubtedly due to negligence of the Government for placing the laying out of the city in the hands of officials devoid of sanitary experience and training. For this neglect owners of property are now made to suffer the equivalent compensation for their loss in land, and sacrifice any income being denied them contrary to the Acts of Parliament governing such matters.
Mr. Laa Cha Pak minuted: It is no doubt strange that the public should have been misled to believe that it was on the recommendation of the Sanitary Board that the definition of external air has been modified to what it now reads. I distinctly recollect that when the re port of the sub-committee was submitted to the Board for adoption the majority of its members agreed that any unobstructed open space, 8 feet wide in front, 12 feet wide on the sides, and 13 feet wide in the rear of existing buildings, should be reckoned as external air. The Director of Public Works was then the only member who insisted on providing 13 feet in front. Evidently, it was ou his recommenda- tion that action has been taken, and the new definition worded to what it now stands before the Legislative Council. The question of 13 feet had been thoroughly and carefully threshed out at the many sittings of the sub-committee, and found to be excessive and drastic. If it were to be strictly enforced more than a hundred of those tenement houses fronting on lanes under 10 feet in width would be condemned as unfit for habitation without a cent of compensation. I heartily join Mr. Ruujahn in his protest. It is all very well for members to be reminded that, serving on the Sanitary Board, they are looked upon as advisers to the Government, only on things sanitary, and not on matters otherwise. But in legislating for sanitation, as for other other
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
it is not the fault of the owners. It is most unfair to hold Chinese owners to blame. In England compensation is paid in all such cases, and it is but just and fair that in a British Colony that justice and fair play should be copied from the Mother Country.
The PRESIDENT remarked that the deter- mination come to by the Government on this matter did not agree with the recommendations made by the Board on the subject. The matter had been practically settled, so he thought they need not take any further action.
Mr. HEWITT gave notice that he would ask the President to make a statement on behalf of the Board showing where the differences be- tween them and the Government lay. It was only right that the public should know the posi- tion the Board took up
on th
APPLICATION FOR EXEMPTION. An application was submitted for exemption from the provision of open spaces in respect of Nos. 17 to 23, Macdonald Road, Yaumati.
Mr. Rumjaha minuted :-"The corner house, No. 17, has a side street 30 feet wide. It is customary to grant exemption to houses similarly situated. As regards the o her houses, recommendation of Dr. Clark many houses having a back lane of 14 feet bave been exempted, and on the recommendation of Dr. Pearse many houses in Queen's Road West having a public street, also about 14 feet in width, in their rear, but on which other houses front, have also been exempted, by dividing up the kitchens as suggested by the applicants. Doctors as a rule disagree, but the Board ought to be consistent in its actions."
The application was refused; it was stated that a new application would be made in respect of No. 17.
AN OBSTRUCTION.
There was laid on the table an application for the renewal of a fruit licenco in respect of No. 237, Queen's Road West.
The M. O. H. minated that the tenant of the stall was really turning the pavement into a shop.
is
Hon. Mr. Pollock:-"It would appear from the M.O.H.'s minute that this man obstructing a busy thoroughfare, which should should not be allowed "
Mr. E. A. Hewett:-"I agree with Mr. Pollock."
Application refused.
ANALYS 8 OF WELL WATER.
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MEMBERSHIP. It was decided to allow the transfer of membership of Messrs Hotz s' Jacob & Co, to the Holland China Trading Co.
EXFLOSIVES ON BOARD STEAMERS IN THE HARBOUR. The following letter was read
Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce.
Hongkong, 30th November. EIR, -I am instructed to acknowledge the receipt of your predecessor's letter of the 24th ult, intimating that His Excellency Sir Henry Blake was unable to agree to the alteration in the law contemplated in my letter of the 19th ultimo, or to appreciate the hardship involved in the flying of the red flag. Mention is also made that in nine cases out of ten the Harbour Master's permission is obtained prior to the entry of the ships into the harbour.
It happens, however, that the exception is in most instances a mail steamer which it is of the utmost importance not to un. necessarily delay in the ports en route. These mail ships invariably carry their own mails, and their agents are thus unable to file particulars of any dangerous goods which may be on board in advance of the arrival of the vessel. In order to conform with the present harbour regulations it is obligatory for such ship to fly the red flag and to remain in the Dangerous Goods Anchorage (which is for obvious reasons situated in an out-of-the-way part of the barbour) for some hours to enable the necessary permission to be obtained from the Harbour Master to move alongside the wharf or to her moorings amongst the general shipping. Detention of this nature may not in- frequently occur where the only ammunition on board is, a case of safety cartridges, which my committee think the Government can hardly consider sufficient reason to justify delaying any vessel. His Excellency the Officer Administer ing the Government will, my committee trust, readily understand that the existing regulation presses very hardly on an expensive class of ship simply because it happens to be carrying ammunition on board in small quantities which in the Treaty Ports of China are not deemed dangerous. My committee merely ask that similar facilities in this respect may be granted here to those existing in the Chinese Treaty
Ports.
objects, I presume 1 am correct in saying reported that he had analysed two samples of / but rather one of convenience to the shipping
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that the same principles of justice and fairplay must not be lost sight of. The exist ing insanitary buildings, as is only too true, were erected with the approval of the Govern ment, and its advisers, our predecessors. It is certainly unfair and unreasonable to make their owners suffer for the sanitary defects that are being, or may hereafter, be detected. I may at the same time point out that in most cases short of total resumption no actual improve ment as regards the condition of the Colony can be effected. Apart from the gross injus- tice it is not politic to try by drastic and unfair measures to vex people into giving up their lands without compensation. For the past eleven years, at the instance of the Sanitary Board, vast sums of public money which might have been more usefully employed in resuming slums and other insanitary properties have been ungrud- gingly spent without any practical result. For the public good the Government should not be so chary of paying compensation.
The Committee of the Chamber are well aware that the alteration in the harbour regula- tions now sought is not of great importance
obtain His Excellency's consent to their request interest, and their object in endeavouring to
is to secure the removal of a petty annoyance, and to have reinstated that freedom from vexatious restrictions which has tended towards
Mr. Frank Browne, Government Analyst,
of K.I.L. 1092 and a well at Man Lam gardens, water from a well on vacant ground in the rear He was of opinion that the water was so tainted with impurities as to be unfit for potable pur- poses and likely to prove injurious to health. whether these wells should be closed there
The Registrar-General:-" Before deciding the development of the port. should be fuller information before the Board used for cultivation and whether the houses in as to their position and whether the water is the neighbourhood are supplied with good water for drinking purposes or not."
Hon. H. E. Pollock: These wells should be closed at once.”
Mr A. Rumjahn:-" Close."
Mr E. A. Hewett :-"Certainly; close at once,
>>
It was agreed to close the wells.
This was all the important public business.
RAT RETURN.
It was reported that during the fortnight ended 14th D-cember 916 rats had been destroy- ed. Of these, 9 were found to be infected with external plague.
Mr. Fang Wa Chun minuted-I distinctly remember that the recommendation of the Board with regard to the definition of
OF COMMERCE.
air is quite different from that proposed by the amending bill. The new definition is HONGKONG GENERAL CHAMBER practically the same as the existing one. The Board has never enforced the law as regards the external air as far as the buildings in narrow lanes are concerned. If the proposed new defi- nition is made law hundreds of houses have to be set back and re-constructed. It has been repeatedly said that sanitation is an unknown quantity amongst the Chinese. The buildings in narrow lanes have been erected with the consent of the Government, according to the sanitary principles of the time; the plans of the insanitary Chinese houses now in existence were prepared and passed by those well-versed in sanitation. It is, therefore, clear that if these buildings are now found to be insanitary
At the monthly meeting of the General Committee of the Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce, held in the Chamber Room, City Hall, on Tuesday, 1st December, 1903, at 3.45 p.m., Present:-Mr. E. A. Hewett (Chairman), Mr. D. R. Law (Vice-Chairman), Messrs C. Michelau, N. A. Siebs, J. R. M. Smith, R. C. Wilcox, A. G. Wood, and A. R. Lowe (Secretary).
I have the honour to be, Sir,
Your obedient servant, (Sd.) A. R. Lowe, Secretary. Hon. A. M. Thomson,
Acting Colonial Secretary., The Chairman said a reply would doubtless be received from the Government in due course.
LICENSING OF PILOTS.
The receat prosecution of the master of the 8.8. Tjipands for negligent samanship in running over the wreck of the Pakshan was discussed, and it was decided to bring the case to the notice of the Government as a proof of neces- sity for the pilots to be brought under similar control to that exercised in other large ports.
PLAGUE-STRICKEN HONGKONG. The Chairman drew the attention of the Committee to an extract from the Canadian Press published in the China Mail of the 28th November. He said alarmist matter of this kind would not improve the reputation of the port in the eyes of merchants abroad, and suggested that if the Secretary could find out the name of the local correspondent who was responsible for the misleading news, it would be well to impress him with the advisability of discontinuing similar methods in future.
On the 21st ult, the official launching took place at Port Arthur of the torpedo-bost Statnoi, the last of the series of twelve built there. The first six have been already completely equipped and have commenced their work. The minutes of the monthly meeting held on Their speed has exceeded that stipulated for the 17th ult, were read and confirmed.
and has reached 30 knots.
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